The Watchmen: Ratan Tata
September 30, 2010: The Times of India
Internet communication and national security
The debate over national security versus an individual or organisation’s right to privacy is set to heat up in the US over the coming months, with law enforcement officials pushing for new regulation that would enable them to tap electronic communication. Given the Indian government’s ongoing tussle with R.I.M. the makers of BlackBerry phones over access to encrypted data transferred via its services, it is an issue that has resonance here. The importance of intercepting and tracking communications both as an element of dealing with situations such as 26/11 and as a preventive mechanism is self-evident. With the evolution of communication modes to encompass online service providers such as Google and Skype, it was only a matter of time before such concerns were raised. However, New Delhi has to be aware that it is walking a very fine line.
One aspect that has to be taken into account is not compromising the Indian business environment, particularly given the IT sector’s high profile. Back-end services cannot be marketed when no assurance can be given that the data being processed is secure. Providing the government with the means to decrypt communication via Google, Skype, Facebook or any of a dozen other services and that might not even always be possible means the sort of government oversight, active or not, of confidential information that companies will naturally be wary of. Another issue is that building a backdoor into these systems for the government’s benefit creates a weak point that can then be exploited by third parties whether individual hackers or sponsored by other governments. These are issues that require careful examination. New Delhi must refrain from using a blunt instrument approach that causes enormous collateral damage.
